


Barely Disguised

by cassacain



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, mailee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassacain/pseuds/cassacain
Summary: It was so impulsive. Mai had been watching Ty Lee put on her makeup for her Kyoshi warrior disguise and...something about her plump lips, the blood red sheen of paint, the careful application, all of it overwhelmed her and suddenly she planted her lips on Ty Lee’s.
Relationships: Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Barely Disguised

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic is written based off of a comic by the incredibly-skilled artist inkymelon, which you can see on tumblr here: https://inkymelon.tumblr.com/post/634748897984741376/please-do-not-repost-this-the-other-mailee

Mai still didn’t know what she’d been thinking. 

It was so impulsive. She’d been watching Ty Lee put on her makeup for her Kyoshi warrior disguise and...something about her plump lips, the blood red sheen of paint, the careful application, all of it overwhelmed her and suddenly she planted her lips on Ty Lee’s. 

And it became more than that. Ty Lee’s initial surprise transformed into a skillful kiss with ease, and then they both heard the tiny swish that sometimes accompanied Azula when she was walking carelessly or in an outfit that she was unfamiliar with, and the two split before Azula entered the room. 

Neither made eye contact with the other. Azula’s unique voice filled the room.

“Alright; you two had better be ready to overthrow the Earth Kingdom.”

“Yeah, Azula, we will be once we get all of this stupid makeup on,” Mai said, having to force out her usual tired tone. She glanced over at Ty Lee who was watching her with her wide brownish Gray eyes. She quickly looked away to the mirror, fixing her makeup in a few quick swipes of white paint. She glanced at Mai with a blush before fixing her lipstick.

Mai kept her back to Azula as she fixed her makeup. 

“Ugh! You two just have to take forever, don’t you? The comet will be here by the time you’re ready,” Azula bitched. Mai rolled her eyes, knowing already that Ty Lee wouldn’t be respected if she responded, so it fell on her. 

“Just give us twenty more minutes, Azula, can you do that?” Mai asked in return, her voice breaking a bit in the middle. She needed to remember to drink more water, but even then she still had a bit of a valley girl tone.

Azula grumbled to herself as she went across the room, grabbing a few weapons. Ty Lee was glancing at Mai again, which made her blush despite herself and focus more intently on the mirror.

They couldn’t talk about what happened, not with Azula here. 

Despite Mai’s doubts, their plot against the Earth kingdom actually worked, and now Zuko was back. Ty Lee still shot Mai curious glances, but Mai’s thinking was fixed. 

Maybe she and Ty Lee shouldn’t talk about it ever. Everyone knew Mai liked Zuko, but there was no chemistry there and even if she cared about Zuko to the ends of the earth their relationship was...

Boring, over-played, old news. 

She didn’t like how jealous he got. Or how single-minded. He was never any fun or any life, unless it was anger. And the two of them constantly together felt like an ugly rainy day in a stupid way.

That wasn’t how Ty Lee felt. 

Of course, all of it came on Mai gradually. At the beach party, during dull conversations mainly spent complaining, when she kissed Zuko again and found it lacking. She wanted the thrill of Ty Lee’s painted lips, but instead she watched Ty Lee walk on her hands for a bunch of beach bums and pretended it didn’t add to her prickly mood.

Azula being her usual psycho-bitch self really didn’t make figuring out her feelings any easier either. It felt like Zuko and Azula were both dragging her their own separate ways and she just wanted them to both let go—now! And the only person who seemed to get it was Ty Lee, and even then how could Mai complain to her about it when Azula treated Ty Lee a thousand times worse?

Mai shut her mouth. She waited to see what would happen, who would tug harder. 

And it turned out to be Azula. Azula yanked until Mai was forced to shove her off, all because she threw out an ultimatum: me or Zuko. 

Mai hadn’t counted on Ty Lee choosing her. She hadn’t meant to drag Ty Lee with her. 

If there was one thing prison bought, it was time.

The cells were individual, but quickly Mai and Ty Lee found each other. Ty Lee ran to her, throwing her arms around her in a gleeful hug. 

“You’ll never believe who I met! It’s an insane coincidence; the Kyoshi warriors! And they heard about us betraying Azula, and they want to get to know us!” Ty Lee gushed. Mai was just returning the hug when Ty Lee bounced free of it. “Isn’t it great?”

“Uh, Yeah. Surprising too,” Mai admitted. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

A bit of fear dashed through Ty Lee’s eyes, as if she thought Mai was going to discuss the kiss in an open courtyard filled with other prisoners, most of whom probably subscribed to the Fire Nation’s rigid standards of gender and sexuality. 

“You saved me from Azula,” Mai said instead, her voice softening. “I’ve seen how cruel she is to you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did!” Ty Lee rebutted at once. “You’re my best friend and I—I love Azula—“ she seemed to doubt herself, it didn’t come out as naturally as usual. “—but I could never pick her over you, Mai. Especially not when you were doing something for Zuko, I know you love him.” Ty Lee’s voice wavered a bit, and Mai could hear the sadness and Ty Lee’s urge to sacrifice herself for Mai’s happiness. 

Mai closed her eyes and took a breath. “It wasn’t the romantic gesture you think it was, Ty Lee. I mean, yeah, I care for Zuko, but he can be a total jerk to me. I’m not his girlfriend anymore.” It was a relief to say it aloud, to be done with that role, which had so quickly transformed from something she’d wanted to something she felt obligated to have. 

“Well, either way, you did it for someone you care about. I couldn’t let Azula hurt you for that.” Ty Lee paused a moment, smiling fondly up at Mai. “I couldn’t let her hurt you at all.”

Mai wasn’t sure what to do with her heart stuttering over a beat. She smiled. “I’ll come meet the Kyoshi warriors again.”

Her smile grew wider when Ty Lee spun in a celebratory cartwheel. She shook her head and followed Ty Lee over to meet her friends. 

It wasn’t as awkward as Mai expected it to be. The Kyoshi warriors were far more understanding than Mai would have ever been if the tables were turned. Something about that was strangely humbling, and it gave Mai a lot to think about. Sure, she drew the line with Azula, but why not draw it sooner?

She wasn’t like Ty Lee, who was forced to follow Azula. Mai had a choice and she’d gone along because she knew it would be interesting. She’d always stood as something closer to Azula’s equal. 

It had all just felt so natural, like she didn’t have another choice. But, in reality, she did.

Ty Lee befriended the Kyoshi warriors with her usual ease, but she still took the time to make sure Mai was never alone for long.

Mai sat in the prison courtyard under the only tree, Ty Lee’s head in her lap. She brushed her soft brown hair back.

“You’re my best friend, Mai,” Ty Lee said, grinning up at her. Mai felt happy at once, but there was a touch of sadness to it. She broke the eye contact, looking toward the sky. “Aren’t you going to say it back?” Ty Lee asked brightly.

“I just...wonder if that’s all. Remember before the earth kingdom...?” Mai asked hesitantly. When she glanced back down, Ty Lee’s cheeks were red so hers followed suit.

“I know how to sneak out of my cell. Want to meet me tonight?” Ty Lee asked softly. Mai smiled. 

“Yeah, let’s plan on that.” She said. 

That night, Mai lay nervously awaiting Ty Lee. The darkness and the quiet—aside from coughs and people turning on their prison cots—gave Mai too much time to think. Her mind wandered to dark places, leading her to doubt the confession she was prepared to make. 

She nearly leapt out of her skin when Ty Lee slid her cell open. Quietly, she slipped in and shut it behind her. She spun around and addressed Mai with a smile.

“Hey there! I figured it would be easiest if we just talked here,” Ty Lee said brightly, rushing over to Mai’s side. She took a seat on the cot beside Mai. Mai felt halfway tempted to just kiss her again instead of using her words, but she shook that off; it was better if she talked to Ty Lee and heard what she actually thought. 

Mai had difficulty meeting Ty Lee’s eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest. “I guess you know why I asked you here.” She said, watching Ty Lee out of the side of her eyes.

Ty Lee blushed deeply. “Well, I remember what happened if that’s what you mean.”

“Yeah, about what happened, I was wondering how you felt—“ Mai was cut off when Ty Lee suddenly reached forward, wrapping her arms around Mai’s shoulders and pushing their lips together in a sweet kiss. 

Mai deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around Ty Lee and feeling safe, warm, happy. Without Azula there, a sense of security and connection existed between them. They were brought together not by Azula but mutual desire. 

Ty Lee broke the kiss first, resting her forehead on Mai’s. “I didn’t think you felt the same, with Zuko and everything. I thought maybe it was just a whim.”

“It definitely wasn’t,” Mai replied, her voice a bit softer than usual. Ty Lee grinned at her. 

Mai kissed her again, this time not on impulse, but slow and sweet and lasting. 

The best part of this thing between her and Ty Lee was that it would last.


End file.
